Not so Cold When I'm with You
by crazygirlne
Summary: The Doctor takes Rose on a trip to a unique snowy planet. Fluffiness ensues.


Tumblr prompts from thedoctorlek requesting Ten/Rose and snow, and from justkirstenb requesting hot chocolate with marshmallows versus hot chocolate with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Beta: scullywolf

* * *

After Rose's initial excitement at the snow-that-wasn't-snow following their encounter with the Sycorax, the Doctor decided it was very important that he bring Rose somewhere she could be properly excited about the frozen precipitation.

First, though, came New Earth, then an encounter with a Lupine Wavelength Haemovariform, then a tense period in which he felt neither he nor Rose were really acting quite themselves.

Not that he'd admit that, of course, since it would require admitting that he…

An opportunity finally presented itself a few days after Mickey chose to remain behind on the parallel world.

Having asked the TARDIS to provide appropriate clothing for Rose, he was unsurprised when she came into the console room bundled in layers of warm clothes. He looked her over once, quickly, then beamed happily at her as he finished confirming their location in time and space.

"We're on the planet Arshklat!on," he told her. "It's not quite as stunning as Women Wept, but as far as frigid locales go, it's certainly one of my favorites."

"Why's that?" she asked, smiling slowly at him.

"You, Rose Tyler, will have to wait and see," he said with a wink before bounding over to the TARDIS doors. He opened them and held out his arm for Rose to take.

She walked over to him, smile growing as she linked her warmly-covered arm with his.

"You sure you're gonna be warm enough in that, Doctor, if I'm supposed to wear this?" she asked, eyeing his brown pinstriped suit and brown coat skeptically.

"Yup!" he replied. "Superior biology, remember?"

"How could I forget?" she asked, grin widening into the tongue-touched one that made the Doctor swallow.

Hard.

Grin firmly back in place after his moment of distraction, the Doctor turned his attention to what was outside the doors as he led Rose out of the TARDIS.

Rose squinted as her eyes adjusted to the bright light, then she gasped.

"Doctor," she said breathlessly, "it's beautiful."

Watching Rose's reaction as was his favorite thing to do in a new-to-her location, the Doctor had to agree.

"As I said," he told her, "one of my favorites."

The snow-covered planet had no specific light source that Rose could see. Instead, it looked as if the blue-tinted snow itself was glowing. The area they'd landed in was lightly wooded. They seemed to be at the top of a lopsided hill, and the steepest slope had virtually no trees. Even with their current elevation, Rose could see no signs of population.

"Oh! I forgot something," said the Doctor, letting go of her arm to duck back inside the TARDIS.

Rose took several steps away from the TARDIS while waiting for the Doctor to return. She knelt down to pick up some of the snow in her mittened hand, squeezing it experimentally and finding it the perfect consistency for snowballs: firm enough to make into shapes, but not so firm as to be dangerous. She quickly scooped up more and turned back toward the TARDIS, hiding the lightly packed snow behind her back. When she saw the Doctor, she threw it at him, laughing as it made contact with his chest before he'd fully exited the ship.

He stared at her a moment, surprised, not moving until she bent down to scoop up some more of the lightly-blue snow. When she moved to throw it at him, he whipped out what he'd grabbed from the TARDIS, using the round, plastic sled as a shield, neatly saving himself from being hit.

"Ha!" he said triumphantly as he lowered the impromptu shield just in time for another snowball to catch him on his opened mouth. He spluttered for a moment, Rose laughing uncontrollably as she watched him, then raised his eyebrows, a sparkle in his eye as he smirked and took a step toward her. Rose covered her mouth, still laughing, as she watched him approach, tilting her head upwards as he closed the distance between them to almost nothing.

Her laughter slowed, her breath catching slightly as his eyes flickered down to her lips before moving back to her face. He dropped the sled beside them, reaching his hands out to place them on her upper arms, he moved almost imperceptibly closer, hands tightening as if to pull Rose closer to him.

Instead, however, Rose found herself on her side in the snow a moment later, the Doctor scooping snow and putting it down the back of her coat, making her squeal with laughter again.

"Okay, Doctor," she managed after a moment, "you win!"

He stopped immediately, grinning at her from where he'd landed beside her in the snow when he'd pulled her down. Rose was certain she saw his eyes glance at her mouth once more before he stood quickly, reaching a hand down to help her up.

"Thanks," said Rose, shaking her jacket to get the snow out as the Doctor shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and looked around. "What'd you say this place was called?" she asked.

"Arshklat!on," he replied, emphasising the T and pausing briefly before completing the word. "Only a few cities here since it gets so cold, but we're not near any of them. This is actually the closest the planet comes to any sort of summer time, so when I wanted to bring you somewhere with snow, well, I thought this was rather ideal."

He looked at her and, seeing she'd finished removing most of the snow, he retrieved the sled from the ground.

"Shall we?" he asked, beaming at Rose once more.

"Is it safe?" asked Rose, gesturing to the numerous, though not dense, trees.

"Yup," answered the Doctor. "As long as we stick to this clearer slope," he explained as he nodded toward it, "the chances of running into anything are virtually non-existent."

"Alright," said Rose, again treating him to a tongue-touched grin. "Let's do it, then." She stopped a moment, looking between him, the hill, and the single sled he held. "Are we going down together, or…"

"Ah," said the Doctor, rubbing his neck with his free hand. "Well, I only had one of these on the TARDIS. I thought we could take turns. Safe planet, after all, so there shouldn't be any harm in having a single hill between us."

Rose arched an eyebrow at him.

"And you're sure it's safe?" she asked. "And I won't run into any trees or get kidnapped by locals or arrested for, I dunno, sledding in a sacred forest?"

"I…" he started, pausing for a moment. "We don't have to if you don't want."

"I want to, Doctor," she responded quickly, "but it's big enough that we can both fit if we sit close, yeah? We've been closer, when we had to get out of difficult situations, so why not for something fun?" she asked, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was holding when he nodded a moment later.

He positioned the sled at the start of the slope, sitting on the large circle of plastic before gesturing for Rose to sit in front of him. He was unusually silent as she tried to sit between his legs, but there wasn't quite enough room. She turned and looked at him.

"Maybe if I sat…" she started hopefully, trailing off and sighing as she saw his discomfort as compared to his earlier enthusiasm. "S'alright," she said. "We don't have to go down together."

He watched her for an endless moment before his blank face transformed into a wide grin. He moved his legs a little closer together and patted his lap.

"Don't be silly, Rose," he said. "There's plenty of room. Besides, this way will be safer since I can hold you closer. For safety."

"You sure?" asked Rose.

"Yup," he replied, patting his lap again. Rose complied, sitting carefully on his lap as he pulled her close to him, his cool lips brushing her ear as he gave her instructions regarding where to hold onto the sled since his arms would be around her. "You alright?" he asked after he wrapped his arms firmly around her middle. "You shivered."

"M'fine," she said, swallowing. "Let's go."

They rocked the sled forward the last bit to send it over the edge of the slope, each making an active effort to ignore the friction the movement created.

The Doctor laughed as the sled picked up speed, and Rose joined in, giggling as he tilted their weight to make the sled move back and forth in zigzags along the snow. By the time they reached the bottom, Rose was nearly breathless from the exhilaration. She stood carefully, turning to look at the Doctor, who was watching her with that look he had when he was expressing his fondness for something.

"That was brilliant," he said as he stood, picking up the sled.

"Yeah," agreed Rose with a smile. Before she could ask whether he wanted to go again, she was distracted by something sparkling above her. She looked up and saw snow falling, reflecting the bright light, giving the visual impression of glitter in the sun.

The Doctor followed her gaze, launching into explanation.

"The snow here is blue," he told Rose, "but the light is white, with less of its own hue than on many planets. That's why it feels so bright here at first, though it's not actually any brighter than a standard planet of this type. Anyway, the molecules in the snow on Arshklat!on are ever-so-slightly different from the molecules of water on earth, and it's marginally better at refracting light. That means the tiny snowflakes give off two distinct colors at the same time, which gives the impression of sparkling to underdeveloped human eyes," he finished.

Rose looked away from the sparkling snow and toward her Doctor at the comment.

"Does that mean you don't see it that way?" she asked. "With the sparkles, I mean, since you've got that superior biology and all," she added, tongue sneaking up to meet the corner of her mouth.

"Wellll," he said, pulling on an ear, "not exactly. If I squint, yes, but mostly, when I decided to come here, I wanted… erm…." He paused, and Rose waited. "I wanted to watch you see it."

Rose blushed slightly, then twisted her features into a disapproving expression, placing her hands on her hips.

"That's a little weird, you know," she said, maintaining her mock scowl as long as she could while he stared, jaw slack, before she burst into laughter again. She moved toward him, standing on tiptoes and kissing him quickly on the cheek before she could change her mind. "Thank you for sharing this with me, Doctor," she told him before smiling again and chuckling at his stunned expression.

She took a few steps back up the hill before turning back to him.

"Come on," she said, reaching a hand out for him to take. "Let's go down at least one more time."

He seemed to remember where he was and moved to take her hand, grinning at her briefly as they started the trek to the top of the hill.

O~O~O

Rose and the Doctor made it down the hill only one more time before retreating into the TARDIS, laughing, Rose's nose and cheeks a color reminiscent of her name.

"When you fell when we were almost at the top of the hill, though," said Rose, laughing after the Doctor closed the door behind them, "I think there was more snow on you than there was on that." She gestured at the plastic sled he was propping against the jumpseat. "I thought you'd be more coordinated with that superior biology you like to brag about."

The Doctor looked at Rose, silently cursing his inability to ignore that hint of tongue that liked to peek through her smiles.

"It is superior," he told her, walking toward where she stood, "but sometimes other, erm, variables can complicate matters."

"What sort of variables, Doctor?" asked Rose, rubbing her hands together for warmth as she took a step forward to close the gap between them.

As she took the step, she found she was slightly clumsy from the cold, grazing a raised section of the console room's floor and losing her footing. She gasped and stumbled forward into the Doctor's arms.

He chuckled as he caught her.

"See?" he said. "There are always variables."

Rose had landed with her face and hands against his chest, his hands a steadying force on her upper arms. She took a deep breath, enjoying his scent a moment before she straightened herself so she could look up at him. The Doctor grinned at her as he made a happy sound in the back of his throat.

"Rose Tyler," he said, "did you just sniff me?"

Not wanting to lie outright any more than she wanted to admit the truth, Rose scrambled quickly for an appropriate response.

"Why would I want to do that?" she asked him, licking her lips involuntarily as he eyed them for a moment. She shivered in response, and his arms tightened on her.

"Come on, Rose," he said, letting her avoid his earlier question. He let his hands drop until one caught hers, then he lead her toward the galley. "Let's get you warmed up. Some hot chocolate should do the trick."

They quickly reached the TARDIS's kitchen. The Doctor squeezed Rose's hand before releasing it and moving to the cupboards and countertop.

"You get out of those clothes," he told her without turning. "The damp ones, I mean." He paused, considering his wording while Rose smirked at his back. "Your coat and gloves should probably come off before they make you cold rather than warm."

"Good idea," she told him. "Never would have thought of that," she added with just a hint of sarcasm.

She listened to his informational ramble about the history of hot chocolate while she took off her jacket and gloves, draping them over kitchen chairs. She removed her boots and damp socks before sitting down to watch him finish heating the water. She continued to watch as he collected drink-making supplies, bouncing around the kitchen while he did so, moving from stove to refrigerator and back.

"And that," he was explaining, "is why so few planets are without some version of hot chocolate."

After the drink had made its way into the Doctor's and Rose's usual mugs, Rose watched the Doctor scoop a handful of small marshmallows onto the top of his drink. He then retrieved another handful of the sugary topping and held it over her drink.

"Marshmallows?" he asked, hand positioned as if the affirmative were a given.

"Actually," said Rose, "have you got any whipped cream?"

The Doctor froze before turning to look at her, an incredulous look on his face.

"You don't like marshmallows on your hot chocolate?" he asked her.

"Well… No, not really," she answered. "They get all gooey when they start to melt."

"But that's the best part!" replied the Doctor, slowly returning the handful of marshmallows to their bag.

"Over a campfire, sure, but I don't exactly like drinking goo," said Rose, wrinkling her nose slightly. She watched him shuffle over to the refrigerator and retrieve a tub of whipped cream.

He slowly scooped some on top of her drink, running the spoon in a circle to give a swirl effect before he put the tub back in the refrigerator, the earlier bounce gone from his step. He grabbed the mugs and walked over to the table, setting Rose's drink in front of her and sitting down across the table, staring glumly at his mug.

"Doctor," said Rose, "are you really this upset about something that goes on top of a drink?"

"Yes," he answered, looking up to meet her eyes, a pleading expression in his. "The poor marshmallows, Rose! They're so delicious, and they're there for our enjoyment, and you just… And whipped cream is so cold! Why would you want to mix it with hot chocolate? It just doesn't make any sense."

"Well, the temperature difference is part of it, Doctor," she said. "Hot and cold, they go well together, y'know? S'like… oh, like M&M's in popcorn, yeah? Salty and sweet." She twirled a fingertip idly in her whipped cream as she thought. "That and the texture, it's just…" she trailed off, sticking her finger in her mouth, closing her eyes and moaning with contentment as she sucked at the sweet topping. When she opened her eyes, the Doctor was watching her, jaw slack.

Rose blinked and looked at his untouched drink.

"Your marshmallows are melting," she told him, and he quickly scooped up his mug and took a big sip.

Rose chuckled.

"Both toppings melt after a bit, don't they?" she said, taking a sip of her own, licking the whipped cream off her lips in appreciation.

"Yeah," the Doctor squeaked, then he shook his head quickly as if to clear it. "Did you know that on many planets, people add spices for heat in hot chocolate instead of raising the temperature? It's actually far more common to find the drink served that way than the way you're used to."

"Nope, didn't know that," said Rose, getting as comfortable as possible in the wooden chair and sipping her warm drink.

"Yup," replied the Doctor happily, his pout evidently forgotten. "In fact, on some planets, the added heat is strong enough that it's used in endurance contests. For example, on…"

Rose listened to his stories, fighting to keep her eyes open as she neared the end of her drink.

"Rose," said the Doctor, and Rose opened her eyes, not having felt herself shut them. "You know, the sugar content in marshmallows is much higher than the sugar content in most whipped cream. You'd be much more awake right now if you'd chosen the correct topping."

"Yeah, but that's just a temporary sort of awake anyway," countered Rose with a yawn. "Think I could do with a bit of a kip today."

"Are you warm enough now?" inquired the Doctor. "I could ask the TARDIS to get you some warmer bedding, if you want."

"Actually," said Rose, standing, "I was thinking maybe we could sit on the sofa in the library? That one that's in front of the fireplace when you want it to be? It's cozy enough to sleep on."

"That sounds brilliant," said the Doctor, standing as well.

Rose linked her arm with his, leaning her head sleepily on his shoulder as they walked to the library. She smiled when they entered the room and it was arranged in her favorite way, with the largest sofa in front of the fireplace and the handful of single seats scattered amongst the shelves of books. The room wasn't always exactly the same size, but it was typically large without feeling excessively so. She moved over to the sofa, waiting for the Doctor to get comfortable so they could take their normal positions, the Doctor sitting at one end while Rose stretched out along the seat, her feet on his lap.

He leaned down to retrieve a blanket from under the couch before he sat down, and after Rose was comfortably positioned, he carefully draped it over her, tucking her in while she smiled at him, already nearing sleep.

"Doctor?" she said as he picked up the book that was resting on the side table. "Been meaning to ask for a while now… is the fire just always going?"

"Nah," he answered. "TARDIS starts it for us when she knows we're headed this way. Now, where did we leave off?" He raised the book slightly to let her know what he was asking about.

"Um… I think the beast was watching through the portal," she replied.

The Doctor rested one hand lightly on her leg as he used the other to hold the book, reading from some hundred-years-in-the-future retelling of Beauty and the Beast in a voice that quickly lulled the tired Rose to sleep.

"And as the beast watched her," the Doctor read, "he thought of the things he'd done in his past, marveling that her loving him existed as even the remotest possibility."

O~O~O

Rose woke alone some time later, feeling rested and content. She stretched and then got up, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders as she left the warmth of the fireplace behind and went in search of the Doctor.

She soon found him tinkering in the console room. He heard her approach and slid out from under the console, standing and beaming at her.

"Hello," he said. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," she said. "Sorry I didn't catch much of the story."

"No matter," responded the Doctor. "We can pick it up again before bed."

"This has been a great day, Doctor," said Rose, looking down at her bare feet. "Thank you."

"You mean you don't like the days when we save the world?" he said, sounding offended. She looked up at him quickly and caught the smile on his face and the sparkle in his eyes.

"Shut up, you know I do," she said. "Today felt special, though."

"Been planning it for some while, really," said the Doctor, rubbing his neck. "Was hoping you'd like it."

"I did," she said before wrapping her arms around him. After a moment of hesitation, he returned her hug. "I know this is usually something we do more after we almost died or when we're celebrating," she told him, "but it's nice, yeah?"

"Yeah," he said as they pulled apart. There was a quiet moment as they watched each other, then the Doctor moved back to the console. "Where would you like to go next, Rose Tyler?" he asked, turning to flash a smile at her.

She took the few steps needed to stand where she often did when she helped him with the controls.

"Let's go somewhere on Earth, maybe in the past?" she suggested. "I want to be able to wear one of those poofy dresses, or maybe a twirly skirt or something."

"I know just the place," said the Doctor, smiling at her again and programming the coordinates that would take them to their next adventure.


End file.
